


invulnerable

by Cloudnine101



Series: Stormpilot Stories [7]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, Insecurity, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 07:22:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5734624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloudnine101/pseuds/Cloudnine101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"There was nobody around the crash site," Finn says slowly. "I'm sure of it. There wasn't anything. You couldn't have been flung that far away. I'm sorry." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Poe swallows. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I - I'll - the truth is, I went down with the ship. And then - I came back."</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	invulnerable

Poe's lying on his bunk with both hands behind his head. It's a cold morning; frost's just beginning to creep across the paddock outside. Finn's curled up beside him, one arm on top of the covers. He's quiet, until he says, "Do you remember the day we met?"

"How could I forget?" Poe jokes. Pressing a kiss to Finn's forehead, he rotates himself until they're facing one another. "You were pretty memorable."

Finn shakes his head. He seems far away, somehow. "You said that you got chucked out of the ship, and that's how I couldn't find you."

"That's an interesting section to focus on." Leaning closer, Poe plays with Finn's hair. It's started growing slightly longer, recently. Poe likes the feel of it between his fingers. "How about the part where you saved me from certain death?"

"There is that bit," Finn concedes, chuckling. Poe feels warmer, suddenly, which doesn't surprise him anymore. Finn's hand wavers towards his cheek, and then falls backwards. "But there's - something else, too."

"What else?" Sensing a shift in the mood, Poe sits upright. His boots are on the other side of the room, propped up against the wall. Deprived of Finn's body heat, Poe shivers. He wants to climb underneath the sheets and hold him.

Finn's head ducks down. "It's probably nothing. Just my imagination."

"Finn," Poe says, "c'mon. You can trust me. You know that, right?"

Finn's eyes flicker shut. Gently, Poe runs his fingers over the space between his shoulder blades. Poe can feel the scar beginning there. He lands his lips against the slightly puckered flesh, grinning when Finn hums.

"There was nobody around the crash site," Finn says slowly. "I'm sure of it. There wasn't anything. You couldn't have been flung that far away. I'm sorry." 

Poe swallows. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I - I'll - the truth is, I went down with the ship. And then - I came back."

Poe freezes. In his arms, Finn must be able to feel it, because he goes rigid, too. There's quiet. The transmissions cables are buzzing overhead - they're near the top of the base, so they've got to put up with that, even though they have the best views.

"I'm sorry," Finn says, "I shouldn't have asked, I mean - it's difficult for you. You don't want to talk about it. You almost died. That's fine. I'm so sorry, Poe. Can you - can you just hold me again?"

"I came back," Poe says. "In more ways than one." 

"Came back?"

"Yes." Poe stands, stretching. He tries for a smile. The bed creaks. "How'd you think I survived so many scrapes?"

"You didn't survive," Finn says. "You - so, what are you? Some kind of a - a - "

"You could call me a zombie, technically," Poe says, "but I prefer invulnerable. It sounds better."

"You're immortal," Finn states. Each word is flat. "That's the craziest thing I've heard since I came here. That's really, _really_ saying something."

"Yes and no, to the first part." Sitting back down on the bed, Poe takes one of Finn's hands in his briefly, before letting it drop. "By definition, immortal means never dying or decaying. I do die."

"But you're still here. And you look - " Finn stops, for a second. "Good. You know. For a dead guy."

Poe laughs. "Lay it on thick, why don't you?" When Finn's face remains blank, he says, "It means, uh, don't hand me any favours. "For a dead guy?" I look good for a _living_ guy."

Finn's throat bobs up and down. "Well, yeah. Yeah, you do."

Poe smiles. Finn's eyes travel across him. Poe does his level best not to move, or even breathe.

"I'd understand it if you want to leave," Poe says, after a minute or so has crawled by. "Or if you don't - I'm not - I won't try and keep you here, if you don't want to. Dating a corpse is probably against some kind of moral code people have."

"Stormtroopers don't have morals," Finn says. "That was a joke, by the way. It wasn't a very good one."

"Good enough," Poe says. Clambering forwards, Finn places both hands on his shoulders. Poe wants to close his eyes - that, or run away very, very quickly. He feels as though he could cry. "But you - you don't - I'm not normal. I don't know how it happens. I die, and then I - wake up. Safe."

"You were with that ship? In that hole?" Finn's sounding each word out carefully. Poe knows that tone - it means he's trying to say something else, but can't figure out how to phrase it.

"It was okay. Wasn't the worst place. Some scavengers came along and dug me out by accident." Poe picks at one of his nails. "It was fine, Finn. Honest."

"That - " Finn doesn't speak. Poe listens to the sound of him breathing, the quick, repetitive huff. "How are you not - "

"Burns heal. More quickly for me, anyway." Poe keeps his eyes trained on the ground. "Look. You can go. It's all good. I get it. I'm a freak. It's nothing I - I can't handle."

"You're not a freak," Finn says, but he's being kind. Poe can tell. He's going to push himself away any second now. "Poe. Look at me, Poe."

Poe does. Finn's smiling - it's a small one, and a soft one - and then Finn's hands are closing over his wrists, joining them together. Poe feels himself staring at the points where they're sealed.

"From now on, I'm gonna be the one keeping you safe," Finn says. He runs a hand along Poe's cheek. "I am never abandoning you. Do you understand that, or am I gonna have to ram it into that thick skull of yours?"

"Cheek," Poe gets out, but it's less playful that he intended. Even to his own ears, Poe realises, he sounds  _tired_. "You do know that it's three am, right?"

"Go back to sleep," Finn says. "We'll sort this out in the morning. There is no way in the stars I'm letting you die on me again."

"Yes, sir," Poe says. He allows Finn to draw him close, and then turn, so that Poe's the big spoon and Finn's the little one. Resting his chin on Finn's shoulder, Poe allows himself to exhale. 


End file.
